With more cultural venues per capita than any other city in the States and a world-renowned music scene, Seattle has a reputation as a work-hard, play-nice place. The Washington city has grown in the past few years with the influx of many Fortune 500 companies, helped considerably by the absence of state income tax (prompting many Californians to relocate there and have a second home in the Sunshine State).

Its status as a tech hub was kickstarted in the Seventies with the arrival of Microsoft to nearby Bellevue and others soon followed suit.

“Overall we view Seattle as being among the healthiest housing markets in the US,” says Dean Jones, principal and owner of Realogics Sotheby's International Realty. It is also the most affordable major West Coast city if you average home prices to average household incomes.

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But it’s much more than an affordable tax haven, says Jones: “Our region is known for its pristine environment, with natural beauty from surrounding mountains, waterways and a moderate climate.” He adds, “It has lush landscaping, warm and dry summers and cool and wet (rarely snowy) winters.” What’s not to like?

Jones says the city (which, like Rome, lies on seven hills) has several distinct areas and associated lifestyles. Known as a “city of neighbourhoods”, Seattle offers distinct character in each of its areas, from the historic Ballard maritime community to Queen Anne Hill (Seattle’s version of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights), Tony Madison Park and emerging neighbourhoods such as South Lake Union, the city’s tech centre.

Downtown Seattle has a high Walk Score (a scoring system based on how easily walkable neighbourhoods are) making it a convenient place to live without a car. But the city is also surrounded by lakes and water so there’s an abundance of waterfront properties.

One of the most popular areas is Lake Washington, the second largest freshwater lake in the state, separating Seattle from the eastside cities of Bellevue and Kirkland. Here, says Jones, “you can dock your boat (and in some cases, your very large yacht) and enjoy the waterways connecting to the Puget Sound”.

You can even have a slice of island life, albeit not very tropical. Bainbridge Island is a short 30-minute ferry ride across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle and boasts beautiful waterfront homes with views across the bay to the city’s skyline.

Says Jones: “It feels worlds apart from the city with its unique charm, affluent community and top-ranked schools.” A little further west, Kitsap County offers more affordable waterfront and equestrian estates.

Some of the most prestigious properties can be found in the Denny Blaine neighbourhood in east-central Seattle. It was among the first areas settled and many of its original estates still exist.

Over on the other side of the lake, the nearby city of Medina was made famous by billionaire residents like Bill Gates. Here you’ll find large areas of land, private golf and tennis clubs, high-end boutiques and top-notch restaurants. Homes here go for on average around £3m but some of the larger ones have sold for more than £24m.

But £1m will get you a pretty decent property in Seattle. A four-bedroomed architect-designed house on Queen Anne Hill or a high-rise condo on the waterfront are both within budget.

Though Seattle’s demographic is entrepreneurial, says Jones, it’s not flashy.

“Most residents are very environmentally conscious and we actually have the highest ownership rates of electric vehicles (Seattle is the hometown of Tesla Motors).”

People here are also very active and outdoor activities are popular. Jones laughs, “It's not uncommon to see someone driving to work with skis on their roof because they'll head up to the mountains afterwards and take in some night skiing.

"You could be in your office tower one minute and be on your boat in front of your house 20 minutes later.”